Classes

An application is a collection of classes. Each class is represented by a class file. 

Class

class: Clock 

The class may inherit the properties of a super class.

class: Clock  extends Applet  

If no super class is indicated, the class inherits from java.lang.Object.

The class may also implement one or more interfaces. 

class: Clock  extends Applet  implements Runnable

Name

The class file has the same name as the class within the restrictions of MS DOS. 

A HolonJ module corresponds to a class. The name of the module is free, it can be different from the name of the class. 

Interface

interface: identifier

The methods in an interface are abstract. HolonJ marks the methods of the interface as abstract by default.

Objects and constructors

An object is an instance of a class. The object is created by a method with the command new applied to a global or local class variable.

Clock myClock

... new myClock ( -- )   ...

A class can have several constructors. The actual constructor is selected by its stack signature. The empty stacksignature may also be written ().  

This

The symbol this refers to (an object of) the current class.

Super

The symbol super is not available in HolonJ. Methods in the super class are called like other methods. Example:

class: MyClass extends Frame

importmethod: Frame.toString
     Frame  toString  ( -- string )

: myclass.toString ( -- string )
      Frame.toString " mytext" "+  ; 

Inner classes

An inner class is just another class in HolonJ. It is defined separately from the enclosing class and has a public name.

Package

HolonJ is quite happy without a package. The classfiles of the application are then stored in the directory of HolonJ. If you define a package, say

package: com.holon.project

the classfiles are stored in the subdirectory com\holon\project\. HolonJ does not create the directories, please build them separately.

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1998-2013 Wolf Wejgaard